Novorum Nominum
by StormDancer
Summary: Long ago, a heartbroken Starfire and a Raven who could barely control her powers fled the Teen Titans. Years later, two new women are bursting back into the Titan's lives, and this time, they're playing for keeps. RobStar, RaeSpe, CyJinx, BBTer
1. Prologue

Author's Note/Disclaimer- I don't own the TT. And this is just a prologue for a longer story, but i will probably only continue of i get reviews telling me they think i should. And points if you get the title! Thanks!

* * *

Novorum Nominum

Story By StormDancer

_Prologue_

* * *

It is not light that we need, but fire; not the gentle shower but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.

* * *

Starfire stared out into the night sky, one hand clutching the emerald medallion hanging at her throat. It was his last present, and the only one she hadn't managed to leave or lose. Still, tonight she wanted the comfort of familiarity as well as the reminder the necklace trumpeted. 

A barely audible sound and Raven stood beside her, cloak blowing slightly in the rooftop breeze.

"I'm sorry we have to be here," Raven apologized softly, also looking out over Jump City, "But I don't have the energy to take us any further tonight. We can leave in the morning."

"It is okay, friend Raven," Starfire replied in decent approximation of her usual cheer, "We will be out of here soon enough, and I will be fine then."

"Yes, but tonight of all nights," Raven mused, noting the other woman's grasp on the emerald.

"It is not your fault," Starfire's voice held little conviction, however true that fact may be. She didn't want to be here right now, but she had no choice unless she wanted to abandon her friend. Raven had already worked herself to pieces getting them here in one day. The women stood in silence a long moment. Then Raven spoke again.

"You really miss him, don't you?"

Starfire sighed. For the rest of the year she could pretend to be over him, but on this anniversary of her heartbreak, the grief showed through her cheerful façade.

"Yes," she stated without reluctance or fear, "I do."

"I miss them too," Raven agreed, "All of them."


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- I don't own the TT. Points for those who know what the girl's names mean!

* * *

Novorum Nominum

Story By StormDancer

_Chapter 1_

* * *

It is not light that we need, but fire; not the gentle shower but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.

* * *

A squelch drew Starfire's attention from her messy hair that she was brushing. It wouldn't have been audible to normal humans, but the woman had spent years honing senses to perfection. The screams also drew her attention.

"Raven?" Starfire observed as the other woman stretched awake from their make shift camp, 'There is a commotion nearby."

Raven was instantly awake, a habit long burned into both of them.

"True," she agreed. She concentrated a second, "It's Plasmus. I would know that roil of emotions anywhere."

"The Titans may not get there in time," Starfire said slowly, looking pleadingly at her friend, "And you are capable of doing the taking down of Plasmus much more quickly now."

Raven sighed, twisting her long, purple hair into a bun.

"Okay, let's go. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish before they get there."

The two women took off down the road towards the chaos, Starfire soaring above her jogging friend.

o0O0o0O0o

The most annoying thing about Plasmus was twofold, all the Titans agreed. One, he inevitably escaped, and two, the only way to defeat him was to fight him to exhaustion. This led to draining, messy battles that left the Titans smelling and drooping, frequently. Needless to say, Nightwing's curt announcement of "It's Plasmus" was always greeted with a groan approximately the size of a small country. But they still went, albeit reluctantly.

Today was no different. The Titans had rushed, to the music of whining and groaning, to the scene. The only change was today would be even worse then usual. Half the Titans were off stopping Overload across the city, so Nightwing, Arsenal, and Changeling were not looking forward to a battle that promised to be exhausting and pointless.

The motorcycles (and mopeds) pulled up at the scene. Plasmus was raging, but he seemed subdued, less insane then was normal. As the boys pulled off their helmets, though, a flash of purple and red caught both their eye and Plasmus. Someone was standing a few yards away from him, apparently unaware of the monster at her back. Plasmus and the heroes moved at the same time, the former at tacking, the latter hurrying to her defense. Quicker then any of them (even the one once named Speedy), though, was the woman. She spun and leaped into the air, nimbly dodging the streamers of goop Plasmus shot at her. Nightwing stared at her in amazement.

"Starfire?" he murmured. Changeling shook his head.

"Couldn't be, dude. Starfire's be using her starbolts."

Nightwing nodded, head dropping slightly.

'What are we doing just standing here?" Arsenal demanded pointedly, "This girl doesn't look like she can take Plasmus down by herself."

"Right." Their leader cleared his head quickly. "Titans-"

Before he could finish his cry, Plasmus imploded to reveal a slumbering man beneath the goop which sprayed everywhere.

"What the hell!" Changeling exclaimed. Plasmus hadn't fought nearly long enough to put him to sleep.

Arsenal put a warning hand on Changeling's shoulder. He got the hint and shut up. The men approached the lone woman cautiously in a tight triangle formation.

Nightwing felt his throat tighten as he neared the woman and she drifted down to the ground. She looked so much like Starfire, even down to the Tameranian outfit and mane of scarlet hair. The only difference was her emerald eyes, which were as jaded as his Star's had never been.

"Excuse me, Miss?" he asked. She smiled graciously at him.

"Yes!" her voice was a melodic soprano.

"How did you do that?" he asked curtly, trying not to show his immediate reaction to her.

She grinned.

"I didn't!" she declared.

"I did," a gravely alto added. The three men spun. A cloaked figure melted out of the shadows.

"Raven?" Changeling asked incredulously. The figure removed the hood and smirked slightly. The bones of her face were more regally defined then Raven's had ever been, and there was no charka at the point of her plaited bun. Their hearts fell.

"No," the first girl chirped, "She is-"

"Hecate," the dark girl cut her companion off again smoothly, a hand emerging from the cloak for the men to shake. Nightwing and Changeling shook it firmly, but Arsenal took the gloved hand and brought it gently to his lips.

"Arsenal," he said silkily, "Charmed."

"I'm sure you are," she drawled. Changeling elbowed his friend.

"Shut down!" he taunted. Arsenal simply grinned and let her hand go.

"How did you do that?" Nightwing inquired of Hecate.

"Projective empathy," she stated. The heroes looked blankly at her. She sighed.

"I made him feel what I wanted him too," she explained slowly, "In this case, exhaustion."

"Oh…" Changeling obviously had no idea what she had said, "I get it now."

"No you don't," she contradicted, "But I can accept that. I wouldn't want to over tax your brain."

Kore was bouncing up and down on her feet in barely contained enthusiasm.

"Hello friends!" she cried when it seemed that the conversation was at an end. Nightwing's eyes widened at the greeting. I t had sounded so much like Star's used to be…

Starfire noticed Nightwing's gaze and gulped. Perhaps she was not as good at fooling people as she had thought. Luckily, Changeling noticed nothing and was as quick to draw attention to himself as he used to.

"Hi!" he replied happily, "What's up?"

She shrugged. She wasn't as confused by statements like those as she sued to, although they still made no logical sense to her.

"The sky?"

Changeling burst into hysterical laughter. Nightwing and Arsenal's eyes widen beneath their masks, and Raven rolled her eyes.

"Why'd you take down Plasmus?" Arsenal asked once Changeling's laughter had died down. Hecate shrugged.

"We were in the neighborhood."

"And just decided to stop in for a fight?" Nightwing demanded suspiciously.

"Oh, no!" Kore exclaimed, "WE are heroes and it is our responsibility to do as we did!"

"You're heroes?" Nightwing inquired, "Professionals?"

"Of a sort," Hecate replied enigmatically.

"Then why haven't we heard of you?" Arsenal demanded, "We know all the heroes around here."

"We travel!" Kore chirped.

"We know most of the traveling heroes too," Nightwing replied.

"We haven't been on earth for a while," Hecate informed him, "We tend not to stay here."

"Like other planets!" Changeling asked excitedly.

"And dimensions," Hecate agreed in a determinedly bored tone.

"Are you Tameranian, then?" Nightwing asked, trying to sound casual.

"No," Kore answered, "I simply acquired this outfit on Tameran."

Nightwing's face fell. Starfire swallowed nervously. She couldn't tell him without defeating the point of leaving, no matter how handsome his grieving face looked.

"Why were you in this neighborhood?" Arsenal had been surveying the dirty streets.

"We don't have much conventional money," Hecate replied, "We had to camp out somewhere."

"You were staying here!" Arsenal exclaimed.

"Yes," Kore agreed, tilting her head in confusion, "Why?"

The men exchanged looks.

"You aren't any longer," Nightwing stated, "You are coming with us."

"Why?" Hecate was no less obviously suspicious the Nightwing.

"Because it's dangerous out here," Arsenal informed her.

"We can take care of ourselves," she retorted, freezing the air between them with her tone, "And do not patronize me."

"But even you can be overpowered," he replied, unfazed by her ice, 'and with two such beautiful women as bait, what man wouldn't try?"

She opened her mouth to retort, but Kore cut her off.

"He is correct, Cate."

Hecate subsided slightly. Arsenal raised his hands in surrender.

"But we were planning to move on this morning," Raven gave Starfire a significant look. Star shrugged.

"I will be fine. We have nothing else to do."

"True. But only if you're sure…"

"I am"

"Fine then," Hecate turned to the boys, who were attempting and failing to follow the conversation, "Lead the way."

As Hecate mounted the bike behind Arsenal (at his insistence) and they left, Starfire flying above them, she felt the familiar brush on her mind. She lowered her shields as Raven had taught.

"_Are you ready for this?" _Raven asked, worry soaking her thoughts, "_We can't let anything slip, unless you want to."_

"_I do not," _Starfire thought back. Telepathy was not a gift of hers, but if Raven opened the conduit she could communicate back, "_Not yet. For the moment, I am Kore and you are Hecate."_

"_Fine. So don't let anything slip."_

"_I will not. Be sure of it."_

The force behind the thought convinced Raven.

"_You're in luck. He's already falling for you. Again," _Raven teased. Starfire blushed, but was not so fazed that she couldn't retort before she raised her shields again.

"_Well, what about Speedy? Or Arsenal now, I suppose? That was most definitely flirting by both of you, friend."_

Arsenal, glancing back at the woman behind him, wondered why her face went so suddenly red.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer- i don't own the TT.

* * *

Novorum Nominum

Story By StormDancer

_Chapter 2_

* * *

It is not light that we need, but fire; not the gentle shower but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake.

* * *

"Yo, Cy! Anyone home?" Changeling yelled as the heroes entered the Tower. The women exchanged an uncertain glance. This wasn't how they were supposed to return, as guests. They should have been greeting their friends after a mission well-done, not trailing after strangers who were once their family. Starfire held back a pace to walk beside her friend, sensing with the ease of long partnership Raven's discomfort. 

"How are you doing?" Starfire muttered, lips barely moving. Robin could read lips, and though it was a fairly innocent question, neither wanted any suspicion on them.

"Fine," Raven replied through gritted teeth, not wanting to risk the power of a telepathic conversation even as she could feel her old wards writhe around her to embrace her with the familiarity of a cat. She was still welcome here, the old spells opening to accept her. "The block only has to hold this strongly for a little while. Then it'll be easier."

The way they were being hidden, as far as Starfire could understand, was not an illusion. Raven could not cast illusions without huge waste of power, and even they she couldn't hold them long. In actuality, a telepathic suggestion was being sent to the Titans, not in words but in feelings. Raven had once described it as felicitating certain paths of thought, and making others harder. In this case, it guided the Titans' thoughts to believe that Hecate and Kore were not Starfire and Raven, and whenever someone tried to think that, the spell, for Starfire knew of no better name for it, would find some doubt to contradict the thought. In some ways this method worked better than a illusion and didn't need a complicated spell to set up and renew, but it did require constant concentration.

Hecate stumbled slightly over a tile in the almost familiar entrance way, having trusted to old memories that were slightly faulty to guide her when her focus was elsewhere. Arsenal, walking only slightly in front of her, spun instinctively to catch her.

"You okay?" he asked, setting her back on her feet. Wide violet eyes glowed back at him from beneath her hood at the mere hint of patronization, just like Raven's had.

"Fine," she snapped and strode ahead. Arsenal shook his head to clear it. Other people had purple eyes, of course. Hecate wasn't Raven, he had to remember that. Even if her eyes nearly glowed with their beauty, like he had always said Raven's did.

The doors of the common room swung open as the 5 walked in, ignored by the occupants. The large man on the couch was absorbed in his video games, and the slight figure beside him was watching him with just as much absorption.

"Dude, we called!" Changeling whined, vaulting over the couch to land next to his friend, "Why didn't you answer?"

"Busy." Cyborg didn't look up from his game. Starfire and Raven exchanged amused glances. It was nice to know not everything had changed. Indeed, Changeling was quickly sucked into the game. The woman beside them sighed and turned to idly give the newcomers a casual inspection.

"In other words, he couldn't be bothered," she explained with fond exasperation, noticing the women's lack of annoyance at Cyborg's negligence. The tall red head looked shocked, though not at that, she noted, and the hooded one was amused. "And who are these?" she flicked a strand of pink hair out of her eyes, calculatingly ignoring the women until she figured where the murmur against her mental shields was coming from.

"This one's Kore," Nightwing announced, not understanding why Jinx smirked at him. He didn't know she had seen him standing a whisper to close to the tall red head already. He continued regardless, "And that's Hecate."

"Nice names," Jinx replied distractedly, still laughing at Nightwing's obvious partiality and the fact that Arsenal's eyes were firmly fixed on Hecate, and not on her eyes. "Do you actually know who you're named after?"

"I'd be ashamed of myself if I didn't," Hecate retorted languidly. Finally managing to trace the psychic signal, Jinx hopped over the back of the couch to meet look her in the face. Pink eyes met violet, and Raven knew the game was up.

She should have known the moment the house wards told her of another sorceress within, Raven admonished herself. The spell only worked if the other had no shields, and Jinx's mind was heavily shielded, of course. Jinx could see straight through the spell, and give them up for who they were.

Jinx reeled back, shocked by the revelation that the two missing Titans had come back, though incognito. Why weren't they telling the boys? She would give them such a talking to… She rolled her eyes at Raven's violent head shake. How stupid did they think she was?

"Good for you," she agreed, giving their hands a firm shake, "I'm Jinx, resident bad luck charm for these morons."

"But you love us!" Changeling exclaimed, his sharp ears picking up on the conversation despite his concentration on the game. Jinx sighed and ruffled his hair, casually leaning on Cyborg's massive back.

'Of course I do," she agreed sarcastically, slapping her backrest gently, "Cy, put down the controller and greet these nice ladies."

The big man obediently tossed his controller to Changeling and rose, striding around the couch and catching Jinx before she over balanced. He hadn't changed a bit, Raven decided. He was still just as big and bulky and welcoming. "Hello, ladies, welcome to Titan's Tower"

He clasped Kore's hand firmly, not trying to intimidate, but not condescending either.

"Thank you, friend!" Kore exclaimed as she responded in kind, not exerting any of her inhuman strength. She favored him with an ear-spitting grin, and Cyborg gave her a friendly smile back. "I am Kore!"

"And I'm Hecate," the hooded figure cut in, giving his hand a quick, informal squeeze before the gloved hand retreated back beneath the hood, "nice to meet you."

Cyborg's voice recognition sensors twitched, but he ignored them. They had been acting up lately, and he had never really let go of his instinctive favoring of his biological components over his technology. HE met the violet eyes shadowed by the hood and swallowed, trying not to match them to another face like that, now long gone and sorely missed.

"They don't have anywhere to stay," Arsenal cut into the conversation. Jinx hid a grin at his jealous look, well hidden and quickly subdued. "They were camping out in the alley."

He watched the half-robot carefully. 'Wing might call himself their leader but everyone knew well that he was only the leader in the field. At home, Cyborg was the head of their small family. If he approved of these women, all would be well. If he didn't, they were back on the street. Nightwing and Arsenal watched their teammate apprehensively.

But Cyborg grinned, and Changeling's and his eyes met. Hecate felt the lash of joyful competition like she hadn't felt in years, and couldn't help but smile at the small comforts of a homecoming.

"Waffles!" Cyborg cried, dashing into the kitchenette, "And none of your tofu junk!"

"It's not junk!" Changeling retorted before morphing into a cheetah and racing his friend to the kitchen, any thought of the video game forgotten in the face of a Breakfast Bonanza. Jinx sighed.

"I'll referee," she informed the other two Titans, rolling her eyes at their antics. "Why don't you find rooms for these girls," she suggested, meandering over to the counter and taking a seat on it, adeptly dodging flying food and occasional limbs.

Nightwing and Arsenal shrugged at each other.

"You girls ready?" Arsenal asked. Hecate nodded and was suddenly by his side.

"Of course!" Kore chirped, "Lead on friend Nightwing!"

Nightwing looked down to hide the blush that showed damnably well on his pale cheeks. He hadn't been this immediately attracted to anyone since Starfire left, Hecate sensed with a smirk. Their plan was working perfectly.

Arsenal rolled his eyes beneath his mask.

"Oh, come on you two," he growled in a passable imitation of Batman. Nightwing's head jerked up at the sound of his mentor's voice, then glared at Arsenal when he realized where it had come from. He stalked past hi teammate and into the hall, Kore following him with Hecate bringing up the rear.


End file.
